The sequel to Salt and a good one at that. Gee continues the themes of "man's inhumanity to man" and "man's inability to learn from history" that he started in Salt but this time he polarises man's hatred in the form of a mother Gool, and her offspring, which threaten the world.

Hari and Pearl who were the heroes of Salt have had children, all of whom have inherited the gift of being able to talk in the mind and to influence behaviour in both humans and animals with this power. Xantee is the most influential in this book which is written sixteen years after Salt finished.

Hari is attacked by a small Gool which has latched onto his throat and is sucking his life away. Xantee and her siblings and other similarly gifted friends, set out to find Hari's father Tarl with the hope of destroying the mother gool so that the world can be restored to a better place. There is action aplenty in the forests, in the mountains and under the destroyed city of Belong.

Maurice Gee has written a satisfactory sequel to Salt and while much of the story is gloomy he does have a positive ending, but can man learn from this?

Will appeal to secondary students and young adults

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Puffin Books